UTSA scores 14 runs in the fifth inning to rally past Incarnate Word, 22-10

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Lane Haworth. UTSA baseball beat Incarnate Word 22-10 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Lane Haworth hit two home runs and produced five RBIs, leading a comeback from a six-run deficit that toppled the UIW Cardinals 22-10 on Tuesday night at Roadrunner Field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The cheering at hot and steamy Roadrunner Field began early Tuesday afternoon, with most of the ruckus being raised by University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals fans celebrating a fast start by the visiting team.

UIW blasted three home runs in a five-run first inning and another one in a three-run second. At that point, the Cardinals were ahead by six and appeared as if they might have generated enough momentum to complete an improbable two-game season sweep of UTSA.

The home team had other ideas.

Taking advantage of over-matched UIW pitchers and a favorable wind out of the south, UTSA scored four runs in the third inning and added 14 more in a wild fifth en route to a 22-10 victory before 1,186 fans.

In the end, when the game was called after the top of the seventh on the run rule, the Roadrunners had silenced the visitors with season highs in runs and hits (20) en route to their 30th victory, avenging a 13-11 loss to the Cardinals on March 31 at UIW.

UTSA outfielder Lane Haworth said players in the home team dugout weren’t paying too much attention when the visitors — both fans and players — were whooping it up after the early outburst.

“It was just a matter of time,” Haworth said. “When they were up 8-2, we got stuck behind there for a little bit. But we all knew that we were going to score a bunch of runs.”

UIW's Cole Tabor. UTSA baseball beat Incarnate Word 22-10 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UIW’s Cole Tabor rounds the bases after his second home run of the game, a two-run shot in the second inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners’ bottom half of the fifth inning was remarkable in many ways. UTSA entered it trailing by a score of 10-6 and came out of it leading 20-10.

The Roadrunners sent 17 batters to the plate and produced nine hits, including two each by Josh Arquette, Jordan Ballin and Cade Sadler.

Arquette started the outburst with a leadoff homer and Haworth ended it with a two-run blast for his second round-tripper of the game.

The go-ahead run in the game scored from third base on interference, with UIW catcher Colin Cymbalista’s glove getting knocked off his hand by the bat swung by UTSA’s Christian Hallmark.

After the game, UTSA (30-14, 44th in the ratings percentage index) heaved a sigh of relief knowing that another loss to UIW might have been costly in its pursuit of RPI points going down the stretch of the regular season.

Roadrunners coach Pat Hallmark said UIW is a good team despite its record (18-24) and RPI (208th out of 308 teams nationally.)

“We talked about it before the game,” Hallmark said. “Both the first time we played ’em and this time, (we knew) that they were going to get hits. You’re not going to stop them from hitting. I don’t care who’s pitching.”

Hallmark said the challenge centered on how his pitchers would respond after the Cardinals started to hit and score.

In that regard, he said, they did well, walking only four batters all night. UTSA’s rotation against UIW consisted of Cody DeMont, Ryan Self, Blayne Lyne, Sam Simmons and Christopher Gutierrez.

Sam Simmons. UTSA baseball beat Incarnate Word 22-10 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sam Simmons (7-3) earned the victory by working two and a third innings of scoreless relief. He gave up two hits and struck out three. – Photo by Joe Alexander

While DeMont and Self took a beating in each of the first two innings, surrendering eight runs on seven hits and four home runs between them, the others combined to hold the Cardinals to two runs on three hits.

Lyne, in only his sixth appearance of the season, pitched two and a third innings. Entering the game in the third with UTSA trailing 8-2, he threw strikes and kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard for two innings.

In the fifth, he faltered with his command and gave up a couple of runs. But, all in all, it was a good show for the 6-foot-6 native of Corpus Christi, a transfer from Texas A&M.

Simmons (7-3) earned the victory, entering in the fifth, working two and a third scoreless while yielding only two hits and walking none.

Gutierrez struck out the last man before the game was called.

UIW, in turn, used nine pitchers on a Tuesday between weekend series in the Southland Conference.

Redshirt freshman Tanner Crispin (0-1) took the loss. Starting on the mound in the the fifth, he giving up five runs on four hits.

The early deficit just didn’t seem to faze UTSA, a program that reached an NCAA Super Regional last season.

“I’m not saying we knew we were going to win when we were down (8-2), but there wasn’t a lot of panic, either,” Hallmark said. “It was just, OK, let’s play nine innings. Give us our 27 outs, and let’s see where we are.

Josh Arquette. UTSA baseball beat Incarnate Word 22-10 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Josh Arquette leads off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer, sparking UTSA to score 14 runs on nine hits in the inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“Again, I did not know we would come back, certainly not like that. But I knew we had a chance.

“We’re not out (of it) on a night like this with the wind shooting out, and both teams are thin on their front-line pitching. Fourteen runs (in an inning) is uncommon.

“But that many hits is not that uncommon, all over the country, on Tuesday, this late in the year.”

For UIW, Drake Anderson had three hits and scored twice and Cole Tabor went two for three, homering in his first two at bats, in the first and the second.

Tabor, from Reagan High School, finished with three RBI. Cymbalista also homered, hitting a three-run shot in the first inning, and he had four RBI.

Jake Weaver followed Cymbalista’s blast with a solo homer, the third in the first inning off DeMont.

The Roadrunners, who answered with four home runs of their own, had several players enjoying big nights.

Ballin went four for four at the plate and, playing second base, made a brilliant running catch on a ball hit into foul territory in the outfield near a low fence.

Sadler had three hits, including his second career home run.

Haworth (in smashing his seventh and eighth homers of the season) and Arquette notched two hits and five RBIs apiece.

Arquette started at third base in place of Diego Diaz, who had an injury on his throwing hand.

Caden Miller and Drew Detlefsen had two hits and three RBI apiece. Detlefsen, the team’s leading hitter, played his fourth game as a designated hitter after tweaking a hamstring.

Records

Incarnate Word 18-24 (8-16 Southland)
UTSA 30-14 (12-5 American)

Coming up

Wichita State at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Christian Hallmark reached base on a catcher's interference call with the bases load, pushing across the go-ahead run. UTSA baseball beat Incarnate Word 22-10 on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Christian Hallmark reached base on a catcher’s interference call with the bases loaded, pushing across the go-ahead run. UTSA baseball beat Incarnate Word 22-10 at Roadrunner Field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA hosts UIW tonight at Roadrunner Field

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners hope to win their 30th game tonight when they host the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals in a matchup of San Antonio’s two NCAA Division I baseball programs.

UTSA and UIW will play for the second time this season at 6 p.m.

In the first meeting on March 31, San Antonio’s Cole Tabor launched a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift UIW to a 13-11 victory over UTSA.

The Roadrunners held a lead of 11-7 after the top of the sixth and couldn’t hang on, falling to the Cardinals for the third time in six games between the teams since 2023.

Tabor is a Reagan High School graduate who has also played in college at Texas State.

Trent Rucker, the brother of UTSA softball player Skylar Rucker, also had a big day for the Cardinals in the first meeting with a two-run home run, a diving catch in center field and an outfield assist.

Records

Incarnate Word 18-23 (8-16 Southland)
UTSA 29-14 (12-5 American)

Coming up

UIW at UTSA, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Notable

The Cardinals, under first-year coach Nick Zaleski, have lost four games in a row and eight of their last 10.

UIW is explosive offensively, having hit 61 home runs in 41 games. Tabor has hit 11 and Preston Newberry 10.

Also powered by an explosive offense, UTSA has won nine of its last 13 and is in the hunt for its second straight American Conference regular-season championship.

In addition, the Roadrunners hope to go back-to-back with their second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.

In the short term, they’d also like to nail down their fifth straight season of 30 or more victories with a victory over the Cardinals, who have given them trouble over the past few years.

UIW won 8-5 at Roadrunner Field last season, handing UTSA one of only two losses on its home field in 2025.

In 2023, the Cardinals played at home and claimed a 9-6 victory over UTSA on a ninth-inning, walk off homer by Rey Mendoza.

Tulane bounces back to win series finale against UTSA

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Hugh Pinkney, Jason Wachs and Kaikea Harrison crushed home runs, and the Tulane Green Wave rallied from a two-run, middle-innings deficit to beat the UTSA Roadrunners 12-7 Sunday afternoon in a weekend series finale at New Orleans.

After opening the series with 7-3 and 8-2 losses at Turchin Stadium, the Green Wave pounded seven extra-base hits on the afternoon to avert a three-game series sweep by the Roadrunners.

With the outcome, defending champion UTSA yielded sole possession of the lead in the American Conference and settled into a tie for first place with East Carolina and UAB with nine league games to play.

With a noon start in New Orleans, Tulane hit UTSA pitcher Kendall Dove hard and erupted for five runs to claim a 5-0, first-inning lead.

The Roadrunners, still hoping for their first series sweep in conference this season, scored once in the second inning and six times in the top of the fifth for a 7-5 edge.

UTSA’s rally was fueled by six hits and was highlighted when Lane Haworth stole home.

Tulane wasn’t ready to cash it in, though, as Wachs responded with a two-run homer in the bottom half to tie. In the sixth, Harrison smacked a two-run homer for a 9-7 Green Wave lead.

Wachs led off the seventh with a double to ignite another rally. Tulane scored three runs in a three-run uprising aided by a throwing error, two walks and a hit by pitch.

Records

UTSA 29-14, 12-6
Tulane 22-23, 8-10

Coming up

UIW at UTSA, Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Friday through Sunday

Notable

UTSA’s pitching was spotty, at best.

Kendall Dove started and gave up five runs, four of them earned, in two thirds of an inning.

Freshman righthander Jake Qualia pitched well in relief of Dove, throwing scoreless and hitless baseball for three and a third.

Another freshman, lefty Christopher Gutierrez, wasn’t as fortunate. Coming on for Qualia to open the fifth, he was charged with five runs in two and a third to take the loss.

UTSA relief ace Sam Simmons also struggled. In two thirds of an inning, he yielded two runs – one of them earned – while walking two and giving up a hit.

With Tulane leading by five runs, freshman Ryan Self pitched a scoreless eighth.

UTSA takes sole possession of first place in the American with an 8-2 victory over Tulane

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

With the famed New Orleans Jazz Festival in full swing across town, the UTSA Roadrunners on Saturday night played hard-rock baseball, ripping three home runs in a 8-2 victory over the Tulane Green Wave.

Caden Miller, Cade Sadler and Diego Diaz all homered as the Roadrunners beat the Green Wave for the second straight night and moved into sole possession of first place in the American Conference.

Miller hit a solo shot and Sadler added a grand slam in a six-run first inning. It was the first homer of Sadler’s two-year career with the Roadrunners.

Diaz slammed a two-run homer in the fifth that expanded UTSA’s lead to 8-0.

On the mound, Conor Myles (7-1) pitched into the seventh inning to earn the victory as the Roadrunners clinched their sixth straight series win in the American this season and their 17th overall dating back to 2024.

Myles has been pitching well for an extended period of time, allowing only two earned runs in his last five starts. The southpaw from Australia is 5-0 during that stretch.

For UTSA, the finale in the series with Tulane is set for noon on Sunday.

If the Roadrunners can win, they’d clinch their first series sweep in conference this season. They’d also nail down their fifth straight year with at least 30 victories.

Records

UTSA 29-13, 12-5
Tulane 21-23, 7-10

Coming up

UTSA at Tulane, Sunday, noon
UIW at UTSA, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Notable

UTSA leads the American standings at 12-5, followed by East Carolina and UAB at 11-6.

Conor Myles pitched six scoreless innings and surrendered only three hits. He threw a season-high 103 pitches, struck out three and walked three.

The Roadrunners totaled 13 hits, with Caden Miller, Drew Detlefsen, Cade Sadler and Diego Diaz getting two apiece.

Miller’s home run led off the game and traveled to center field. It was his sixth of the season. Diaz hit his fourth homer of the year in the fifth inning.

Tulane starter Jake Toporek (1-4) took the loss after getting only one out in the first. In allowing the first six batters to reach base, he surrendered six runs on five hits.

Green Wave outfielder Jason Wachs had two hits for the second night in a row.

Around the conference

Earlier in the day on Saturday, Memphis downed UAB 13-9 in Birmingham to open the door for the UTSA to take over sole possession of first in the American.

In addition, East Carolina beat South Florida 12-4, creating a two-way tie for second.

Later in the day, East Carolina led South Florida 6-2 in a game that was suspended in the third inning due to weather.

East Carolina and South Florida are scheduled to complete the game and the series Sunday in Greenville, N.C.

UTSA shoots for its 17th straight series victory in the American Conference

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA can win its 17th straight series in American Conference play on Saturday night in New Orleans.

The Roadrunners exploded for five runs and a seven-run lead in the third inning and then held on behind the pitching of reliever Connor Kelley for a 7-3 victory over the Tulane Green Wave on Friday night.

With the win, UTSA can keep its streak alive if it can beat Tulane either Saturday night or in the Sunday finale.

The Roadrunners are also battling for the lead in the American.

They remained tied for first place with the UAB Blazers, who claimed a 7-6 victory in 11 innings over the Memphis Tigers.

Trailing by one, the Blazers scored twice in the bottom of the 12th to win on their home field in Birmingham.

Meanwhile, in New Orleans, the Roadrunners scored two runs in the first and added five more in the third to take a commanding 7-0 lead on the Green Wave.

In the third, UTSA caught a break from the outset when Lane Haworth’s pop fly to shallow right field was lost in the lights and dropped in for a double.

Andrew Stucky followed by crushing an RBI double to left field.

After a bunt single by Christian Hallmark moved Stucky to third base, Cade Sadler drove a ball into the outfield for a sacrifice fly RBI.

The Roadrunners continued to pour it on, with Jordan Ballin delivering an RBI single and Aidan Eshelman an RBI double to left.

After Tulane starter Trey Cehajic walked Caden Miller, the Green Wave made a pitching change.

LuisPablo Navarro entered and walked Drew Detlefsen and Haworth, with the second free pass forcing in the fifth run of the inning to make it 7-0.

After that, the game evolved into a pitcher’s duel between the bullpens.

Navarro and Jacob Moore combined to hold the Roadrunners hitless and scoreless over the final six and a third innings. But Kelley nearly matched them in a 90-pitch tour de force.

The 6-5 junior from Spring pitched UTSA out of trouble in the fourth inning and worked all the way into the ninth to earn the victory.

All told, Kelley yielded one run on five hits and three walks in five and two thirds. He struck out six.

In the end, Tulane put a stop to Kelley’s string of 26 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

The streak ended when Kaikea Harrison, with a runner at third and nobody out in the ninth, stroked an RBI single to center.

The Roadrunners later choked off the rally with their third infield double play of the game. Freshman Christian Gutierrez retired Jason Wachs on a ground ball for the last out.

As a result, Kelley left the ball park with his second victory in two weeks, improving his record to 4-1.

For Tulane, Cehajic took the loss and fell to 2-5. He yielded seven runs on eight hits in two and two thirds innings.

In Saturday’s Game Two at Tulane’s Turchin Stadium, the Roadrunners will send lefthander Conor Myles to the mound. Myles is 6-1 with a 2.91 earned run average.

He’ll face another lefty, Tulane’s Jake Toporek, who is 1-3 with a 3.53 ERA.

Records

UTSA 28-13, 11-5
Tulane 21-22, 7-9

Coming up

UTSA at Tulane, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Sunday, noon

UIW at UTSA, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Notable

After Friday night, UTSA and UAB remain locked in a tie for first in the American at 11-5, with East Carolina trailing at 10-6. Wichita State is 9-7.

Teams in the 10-team league play a 27-game conference schedule.

Outfielder Drew Detlefsen, injured slightly in UTSA’s series finale against Charlotte last Sunday, started and played the first game against Tulane as a designated hitter.

He extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a first-inning double in a one-for-four performance.

Lane Haworth and former San Antonio schoolboy Christian Hallmark led the Roadrunners with two hits apiece.

Haworth homered and doubled in four at bats and notched three RBIs. The 5-11 junior from Lewisville, a transfer from Wichita State, has hit six homers for the season and two in his last four games.

Hallmark, a sophomore transfer from Navarro College, went two for five for his 13th multi-hit game of the season and his third straight.

The son of UTSA head coach Pat Hallmark played in high school at Brandeis.

Gunnar Brown started on the mound for the Roadrunners and pitched three innings. He yielded two runs on six hits, while walking one and striking out two.

UTSA outfielder Drew Detlefsen set to start tonight against the Tulane Green Wave

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Tied for first place with the UAB Blazers, the UTSA Roadrunners will open a three-game series in New Orleans on Friday against the Tulane Green Wave. The series in the American Conference continues Saturday and Sunday.

Drew Detlefsen, UTSA’s batting average, home run and RBI leader, is in the starting lineup for the Roadrunners. According to lineups just posted, the senior from Trophy Club is playing left field and batting second.

Detlefsen suffered an injury that had him limping at the end of UTSA’s home game on Sunday against the Charlotte 49ers. On Monday, his status for a scheduled Tuesday night road game against Texas A&M was in question.

Officials elected to cancel the A&M game because of weather-related concerns.

Against the Green Wave, the Roadrunners will go with a lineup that’s carried the team to the top of the standings in the American, with Caden Miller leading off, Detlefsen batting second and Lane Haworth in the No. 3 hole.

Andrew Stucky is batting fourth, followed by Christian Hallmark and Jacob Silva. Batting seventh through ninth are Diego Diaz, Jordan Ballin and Aidan Eshelman.

Gunnar Brown (2-0, 5.40 ERA) will start on the mound for the Roadrunners against Tulane’s Trey Cehajic (2-4, 7.68).

Detlefsen ranks second in the conference in batting average (.394) and home runs (13) and leads in RBIs (51).

He is on a .396 pace during a 10-game hitting streak, with 19 hits in 48 at bats. He has three home runs and 18 RBIs during the streak.

Lately, UTSA’s Friday night pitching rotation has featured Brown as the starter with hard-throwing Connor Kelley in long relief.

Brown was hit hard early in a start last Friday against Charlotte, but he pitched four and two thirds innings, giving up only a pair of earned runs.

Kelley was the story in an eventual 11-5 victory over the 49ers, pitching scoreless baseball for the remaining four and a third innings.

Kelley is on a streak of eight appearances and 20 and 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

Tye Wood and Jason Wachs are set to bat 1-2 tonight in the Green Wave’s lineup. Wood is a .283 hitter, while Wachs leads the Wave at .340.

Wachs has hit safely in six of his last seven games, including a pair of home runs last week against the FAU Owls.

Records

UTSA 27-13, 10-5
Tulane 21-21, 7-8

Coming up

UTSA at Tulane, Friday, 7 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Sunday, noon

UIW at UTSA, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Notable

Friday’s game will be carried on ESPNU. The Saturday and Sunday games will be on ESPN+.

Tied with the Roadrunners for first place in the American, the UAB Blazers (26-15, 10-5) are hosting the Memphis Tigers this weekend in Birmingham, with games set today through Sunday.

The East Carolina Pirates, one game back in second place, are at home for three this weekend against the South Florida Bulls.

Both UTSA and East Carolina (25-16-1, 9-6) reached the NCAA tournament out of the American last season.

Tulane takes a loss at Southern Miss, 5-4, leading into UTSA series

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Update: The 16th-ranked Southern Miss Golden Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Tulane Green Wave, 5-4, on Tuesday night at Hattisburg, Miss. Southern Miss of the Sun Belt Conference improved to 29-12 on the season while Tulane, from the American, fell to 21-21.

Officials have announced that UTSA’s baseball game at Texas A&M, set for Tuesday afternoon at 3, has been canceled for weather-related reasons.

UTSA will play an American Conference weekend series in New Orleans against the Tulane Green Wave starting Friday, with all games including Saturday and Sunday set for Turchin Stadium.

The Roadrunners are tied for first in the American with the UAB Blazers, who host the Memphis Tigers this weekend.

The East Carolina Pirates, trailing the Roadrunners and Blazers by one game in second place, will host the South Florida Bulls.

Records

UTSA 27-13, 10-5
Tulane 21-21, 7-8

Coming up

UTSA at Tulane, Friday, 7 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
UTSA at Tulane, Sunday, noon

Notable

Friday’s game will be carried on ESPNU. The Saturday and Sunday games will be on ESPN+.

UTSA looks forward to a road test at Texas A&M after falling 7-5 to Charlotte

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The Charlotte 49ers snapped a 10-game losing streak Sunday afternoon behind fifth-year senior Adam Stanton, who led his team to a 7-5 victory over UTSA in an American Conference series finale at Roadrunner Field.

Pat Hallmark. UTSA beat Charlotte 11-5 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Pat Hallmark. UTSA beat Charlotte 11-5 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Stanton (2-1) earned the win after emerging from the bullpen to shut down a first-inning rally in a pitching performance that carried through until the eighth inning.

Senior Drew Munn picked up Stanton and closed by getting the last four outs for his first save.

UTSA starter Kendall Dove (3-1) took the loss.

Charlotte offensive standouts Todd Hudson and Dylan Koontz had three hits apiece and figured prominently in an effort that kept the Roadrunners from sweeping the series and taking over sole possession of first place in the American.

Earlier in the day, the South Florida Bulls gave the Roadrunners a chance at a one-game lead in the conference when they beat the UAB Blazers 1-0 in Tampa, Fla.

About the same time that the Bulls won, the Roadrunners were in the midst of a late rally that, ultimately, fell short on another cool and windy day on the northwest side of San Antonio.

As a result, the Roadrunners (27-13, 10-5) and the Blazers (25-15, 10-5) settled into a tie for first going into the new week.

UTSA will get a crack at 10th-ranked Texas A&M on Tuesday afternoon before traveling to New Orleans on the weekend for a series at Tulane.

The Roadrunners defeated the Aggies 7-4 in College Station last season on the way to their first NCAA tournament berth in a dozen years.

“It’s a great opportunity,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “We’re going to have to do it with some folks who don’t always get opportunities, especially on the mound.”

Going into the game at College Station, the Roadrunners likely won’t have front-line pitchers Connor Kelley or Sam Simmons available in the mid-week, the coach said.

Slugging outfielder Drew Detlefsen also might be a question mark after the team’s leader in home runs and RBIs was seen limping during and after Sunday’s loss.

Regardless, playing at Texas A&M is just a fun experience, the coach said.

“I love playing at A&M,” Hallmark said. “I love it. I love it. I love it. So, hopefully we embrace it and enjoy it and, win or lose, play good, clean baseball.”

Hallmark said he’s eager to see how some of his younger players perform at the home of the Aggies, one of the traditional programs in the state.

“I like the fact that we’re going to go with some of our younger, more inexperienced people, and see what they’re made of,” he said.

After winning the first two games against Charlotte on Friday and Saturday by a combined score of 19-8, the Roadrunners on Sunday faced a 49ers team intent on playing with enthusiasm.

The 49ers were pressed against the rail in the dugout, clapping and cheering, in a contest that started at 11 a.m. Hallmark credited Charlotte coach Robert Woodard for keeping his players engaged.

“I was impressed with Charlotte,” Hallmark said. “I give those guys credit. I give their coaching staff credit. They’re on a bit of a spell, a losing spell.

“At different points of my life, I’ve been there, where you’re struggling as a player and as a coach. He got ’em to come out and play hard, and they played well.

“They played very well. We had a couple of holes in our game. We didn’t play bad. Thought we had a couple of holes that hurt us a little bit.

“But, mostly, I tip my cap to Charlotte and their coaches.”

Trailing 7-2, the Roadrunners made a game of it at the end, scoring twice in the seventh and once in the eighth to pull within the eventual final score.

But in the ninth, Munn worked around a two-out single by Christian Hallmark to nail down the victory. With the coach’s son aboard, Jacob Silva flied to left for the final out.

Records

Charlotte 19-20, 4-11
UTSA 27-13, 10-5

Coming up

UTSA at Texas A&M, Tuesday, 3 p.m.

Notable

The 49ers’ defense came up big on Sunday. In the first inning, with UTSA leading 1-0, they turned their first of three double plays.

With the bases loaded, Christian Hallmark chopped a ball back to Stanton, who threw home for a force at the plate. Catcher Aaron Orozco’s throw to first baseman Dylan Koontz beat the speedy Hallmark to the bag.

Silva flied out to end the inning and the threat on what could have been a multiple-run uprising.

UTSA outfielder Drew Detlefsen went two for five at the plate in the series finale and knocked in two runs.

The senior from Trophy Club has amassed a conference-leading 51 RBIs in 39 games. Detlefsen produced 70 RBIs last year in his first season with the team.

Injury update

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said there is no change in the status of injured infielder Nathan Hodge, who hasn’t played this season with an injury to his throwing arm.

“He won’t be able to throw this season,” Hallmark said. “So the only question with Nate is, if we use him, and burn the redshirt, we’re only using him to hit.

“And, nothing’s changed. Nate and I have talked. Nate’s dad and I are close, so, the three of us have talked about it. Nate wants to get in there and play.

“So far, we haven’t felt that the need … it’s like everything in life, you weigh the pros and the cons. The need hasn’t outweighed the cons of losing the year of eligibility.

“We will continue to analyze that as we move along.”

Hallmark said Hodge has progressed physically to the point that he is capable of playing as a designated hitter if the need arises.

“He’s already batted off of our pitchers in what we call live at bats,” the coach said.

Hodge hit .308 with an OPS of .843 last year as a freshman. He also had big moments against both A&M and Texas.

In College Station, he had a hit and two RBIs in the win over the Aggies.

Later, against Texas in the regular season, the younger brother of former UTSA star Ty Hodge contributed with a pinch double and an RBI in a 12-inning, 8-7 victory.

In the NCAA playoffs, Hodge went two for four with three RBIs in the first of two straight wins over the Longhorns.

Late offensive surge boosts first-place UTSA past slumping Charlotte, 8-3

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Just when the struggling Charlotte 49ers started to rally on a windy Saturday afternoon, the UTSA Roadrunners’ two offensive standouts stepped in and took charge of the situation.

Drew Detlefsen launched a solo home run into the wind in the seventh inning, and Caden Miller ripped a two-run double in a three-run eighth.

UTSA went on to claim an 8-3 victory, clinching its 16th straight series victory in the American Conference dating back to the 2024 season.

On Sunday, the Roadrunners will try for their first series sweep in conference this season when the teams meet at 11 a.m.

Charlotte, an NCAA tournament program in 2023, has lost 10 games in a row and would like to rectify that situation before the team leaves San Antonio.

Earlier in the day on Saturday, the UAB Blazers completed a 12-6 rout of the South Florida Bulls in Tampa. With the two outcomes, the Blazers and the Roadrunners improved to 10-4 in the conference.

Teams in the American play a 27-game schedule, so the race is deadlocked just beyond the halfway point.

It’s been an eventful week for the Roadrunners, the conference’s defending regular-season champions.

On Tuesday, they lost a heartbreaker, falling 10-9 in 12 innings at Waco against the power conference Baylor Bears.

The Roadrunners took a two-run lead into the bottom of the 12th and then gave up three runs to lose on a walk-off single by Bears freshman Dylan Perez.

By Friday, they shook it off and scored an 11-5 victory over the 49ers in the first of three games at Roadrunner Field.

On Saturday, the Roadrunners and 49ers faced adversity in the weather.

Namely, a cold and blustery wind that blew into the hitters’ faces, forcing players on both sides to adjust their approach.

In the early going, the Roadrunners played small ball and surged into a 4-0 lead after three innings.

In the three-run second, Diego Diaz notched an RBI bunt single. Jordan Ballin followed with a sacrifice bunt that brought in another run.

Aidan Eshelman’s RBI single made it 3-0. The Roadrunners tacked on another run in the third to stake starting pitcher Conor Myles to a commanding four-run lead.

Myles (6-1) went on to record the victory, his fourth over his past four starts.

In working 5 and 1/3 innings, the lefthander from Australia was charged with two runs, both of them unearned.

He allowed six hits and walked three, while striking out three. Sam Simmons earned his fourth save of the season, striking out five in 3 and 2/3.

UTSA’s relief ace had his struggles in giving up three hits, one run (unearned) and walking three.

After the 49ers trimmed UTSA’s lead to 4-3 with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, the Roadrunners’ offense came to life against the 49ers’ bullpen.

In the bottom of the seventh, Detlefsen hit his team-leading 13th home run of the season. The solo blast into the left-field screen made it 5-3.

In the eighth, Jordan Ballin notched an RBI single, expanding the Roadrunners’ lead to three runs. Miller highlighted the inning with a two-run double.

UTSA had a scare in the inning on a play when Diego Diaz was thrown out sliding feet first under the catcher, into home plate.

Diaz stayed down momentarily and got up limping, but he did not come out of the game.

Starting pitcher Ryan Combs (1-1) took the loss for the 49ers, who have lost their last eight conference games.

Records

Charlotte 18-20, 3-11
UTSA 27-12, 10-4

Coming up

Charlotte at UTSA, Sunday, 11 a.m.
UTSA at Texas A&M, Tuesday, 3 p.m.

Notable

UTSA outfielder Christian Hallmark had a three-hit day at the plate, his third of the season. In addition, Miller, Diaz and Eshelman had two hits apiece. Ballin and Miller led the team with two RBIs each.

UTSA rebounds from a walk-off loss in Waco to rout Charlotte, 11-5, at Roadrunner Field

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Connor Kelley. UTSA beat Charlotte 11-5 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Six-foot-five Connor Kelley struck out six in four and a third scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory in the opener of a three-game series in the American. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

In the two days leading into Friday night’s American Conference series opener against the Charlotte 49ers, the UTSA Roadrunners couldn’t rid themselves of a sour taste in their mouths.

It just wouldn’t go away. They thought they had a non-conference game won against the Baylor Bears Tuesday night and then gave up three runs in the bottom of the 12th to let it slip away.

“It was a tough loss,” UTSA outfielder Lane Haworth said. “But, I mean, our goal is still the same. It doesn’t change the fact that we want to be first in the American.”

UTSA took another step in that direction as it pounded out an 11-5 victory over Charlotte at Roadrunner Field to maintain a tie for first place in conference.

Lane Haworth celebrates his home run as he heads back to the dugout. UTSA beat Charlotte 11-5 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Lane Haworth rounds the bases grinning after he hits a long, two-run homer in the eighth inning. Before the big swing, a sacrifice bunt was under consideration until he assured Coach Pat Hallmark he felt good about his chances against a left-handed pitcher. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Reeling a bit after watching the 49ers score five runs in the top of the second inning, the Roadrunners answered with four of their own in the bottom half to take a 6-5 lead.

From there, UTSA pitching settled down, with starter Gunnar Brown finding a groove after his one frightful inning to complete four and two thirds.

To top it off, Connor Kelley entered in the fifth to shut out the hot-hitting 49ers the rest of the way.

The 6-foot-5 righthander was throwing in 94 mph-range for most of the night but hit as high as 98 on the radar gun in pitching two-hit ball for four and a third innings.

He struck out six and earned the victory.

In the meantime, the Roadrunners scored a run each in the third and the fourth and added three in an eighth — highlighted by Haworth’s long two-run homer — to win their 26th game of the season.

Coach Pat Hallmark said he thought his team’s play on the mound and in the field was “terrific” for the most part in holding the 49ers off the scoreboard in eight of nine innings.

He mentioned an obstruction call on UTSA freshman shortstop Aidan Eshelman on a pickoff attempt at second base as an “unfortunate” development that aided in Charlotte’s one big outburst.

“Aidan is getting in there for the pick off and he didn’t quite all the way get in front of the base,” Hallmark said. “A little bit unfortunate, and we walked a guy to start the inning, but it was eight innings of good baseball besides that.”

In a game that started at 6 p.m., a strong wind blowing out of the south made it extremely tough on pitchers.

“I kind of thought both teams would get into double digits tonight, and we pitched well,” the coach said. “I’m proud of Gunnar and Kelley to hold that lineup down.”

With the victory, UTSA improved to 3-2 in the opening games of its five three-game series in the American this season.

Aidan Eshelman. UTSA beat Charlotte 11-5 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Freshman shortstop Aidan Eshelman continues to field his position well. Said pitcher Connor Kelley, ‘I think he’s really good on defense.’ – Photo by Joe Alexander.

The team can now clinch its fifth straight series this season and its 16th in a row if it can win Game 2 against Charlotte on Saturday.

“No matter what, if we win or lose the day before, we’re always going to be confident that we’re … going to win the day of (the game),” Haworth said. “It’s just like Baylor, we lost on Tuesday, but we came in (today) with confidence …

“I think that’s a good mindset to have for the season.”

Record

Charlotte 18-19, 3-10
UTSA 26-12, 9-4

Coming up

Charlotte at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Charlotte at UTSA, Sunday, 11 a.m.
UTSA at Texas A&M, Tuesday, 3 p.m.

Notable

The Roadrunners (26-12, 9-4) and the UAB Blazers (24-14, 9-4) remained in a tie for first place in the American after Friday’s games.

First, the Blazers beat the South Florida Bulls, 8-4 in Tampa. Next, the Roadrunners followed a little more than an hour later with an 11-5 victory at home over the 49ers.

Charlotte, with non-conference victories earlier this season over nationally-ranked Virginia and also South Carolina, and a conference series victory over South Florida, has now lost nine games in a row.

Kelley’s streak

The story of the night in San Antonio centered on Kelley, who continues to pitch well in relief after a shaky outing a month ago cost him his Friday night starter’s role.

Gunnar Brown. UTSA beat Charlotte 11-5 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Gunnar Brown yielded five runs, only two of them earned, in 4 and 2/3 innings as UTSA’s starting pitcher Friday night against Charlotte. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After giving up four runs in one inning against UT Arlington on March 13, Kelley hasn’t been touched since, hurling 20 and 2/3 consecutive innings in eight appearances without allowing an earned run.

During that stretch, he has yielded three runs, but all have been unearned. Meanwhile, he’s given up 10 hits and has walked five, while striking out 22.

“I just try to keep it simple,” Kelley said. ” … Throw strikes and get ahead. Nothing too fancy. Keep it easy and stay relaxed.”

Haworth’s home run

UTSA coach Pat Hallmark called time out after Drew Detlefsen led off the eighth by reaching first base on an error.

With Charlotte lefthander AJ Camp pitching well, the coach had a notion to ask a left-sider hitter, Lane Haworth, to bunt.

“It’s really up to you,” Hallmark told Haworth. “You got to be honest with me, though. How do you feel?”

Responded Haworth, the man on deck, “Coach, I feel good.”

Haworth proceeded to hit a first-pitch homer, jacking it over the wall in right center.

“He’s rounding the bases laughing,” Hallmark said, “and Detlefsen’s laughing, because they were both in the meeting. Detlefsen ran by me and said, ‘I guess he feels good.’ ”

Haworth entered Friday night’s Charlotte game with only five hits in 32 at bats over his last eight games.

He went two for four with a double and a homer against the 49ers, scored three and drove in three.

“I feel a lot better,” Haworth said. “I was struggling there for a little bit. It’s really just baseball. Sometimes, you get in those funks and you got to find a way to get out of it.”

He said he’s been working with Hallmark and assistant Ryan Aguayo to get the feeling back.

“I think it’s been a very rough couple of weeks,” Haworth said. “But hopefully we’re on an ascending trend.”

Christian Hallmark. UTSA beat Charlotte 11-5 in American Conference baseball on Friday, April 27, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA center fielder Christian Hallmark positions himself to make a catch against the Charlotte 49ers. – Photo by Joe Alexander